Mario Badescu Face Mists

March 8, 2026April 1, 2026 - Vicki Leave a comment

I’m a big fan of the face mist, I use one almost every day and when I spotted this Mario Badescu set in TK Maxx I knew I had to have it. This set bundles four of Mario Badescu’s face mists together in 59 ml bottles, so you can explore the range without splashing out on full sizes, and the travel-friendly bottles make them perfect for popping in your bag or taking on holiday.

This collection gives you four different facial mists, each with a slightly different focus, from calming and hydrating to refreshing and brightening.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea

This spray is great for cooling, calming and soothing skin, it also feels lovely and refreshing after a warm day. It is infused with cucumber and green tea and aloe vera, designed to instantly refresh and hydrate the skin while helping to revive a dull, tired-looking complexion. It also soothes redness and calms irritation. This face mist is lovely and perfect to keep chilled in the fridge for that extra skin pick me up / refresh on a hot day.

Aloe Vera – Soothes and hydrates skin, calming irritation.
Cucumber Extract & Water – Refreshes, softens, and cools tired skin.
Green Tea Extract – Antioxidant protection, soothes and supports a healthy complexion.
Peppermint Leaf Water – Delivers a cooling, invigorating sensation.
Bladderwrack (Seaweed) Extract – Mineral-rich, nourishes and softens skin.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile and Lavender

Infused with vitamin C and a blend of botanical extracts to help hydrate, refresh and brighten the appearance of the skin. Formulated with soothing aloe vera, calming chamomile and lavender, it works to replenish moisture while helping the complexion look dewy and radiant. This mist is lovely to apply before your moisturiser.

Lavender oil and chamomile extract help calm and comfort the skin.
Lavender essential water provides lightweight hydration and a soothing feel.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) offers antioxidant protection while helping brighten the complexion.
Thyme extract helps clarify and refresh the skin.
Bladderwrack (seaweed) extract, rich in minerals, helps soften and nourish the skin.
Aloe vera delivers soothing hydration and helps keep the skin feeling calm and moisturised.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater

infused with rosewater and aloe vera, designed to hydrate and revive dehydrated skin. It helps reveal a healthy, dewy glow, leaving your skin feeling refreshed, radiant, and re-energised. Enhanced with clarifying thyme extract, which is great for clearer, balanced-looking skin. I love to use this spray over my makeup though out the day as a refresh to stop it looking dull or powdery.

Rosewater – Rejuvenates and refreshes the skin.
Gardenia Extract – Antioxidant-rich, helps protect and nourish.
Thyme Extract – Clarifies and supports a clearer complexion.
Bladderwrack (Seaweed) Extract – Mineral-rich, softens and nourishes skin.
Aloe Vera – Soothes, hydrates, and calms the skin.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Sage and Orange Blossom

Oil-free, multi-purpose facial mist that hydrates, tones, and refreshes the skin. Infused with orange blossom, sage, thyme, aloe vera, and mineral-rich bladderwrack (seaweed) extract, it delivers instant hydration while helping to soothe, rebalance, and clarify the complexion. Ideal for blemish-prone or combination skin, this mist leaves skin feeling fresh, dewy, and revitalised. For a nice glowing dewy look, I like to, spritz my brush before applying my foundation or concealer, then mist over the face once I have applied my powder.

Orange Blossom Essential Water – Hydrates and tones for a refreshed feel.
Sage Essential Water – Re-balances and energises the skin.
Thyme Extract – Clarifies and supports a clearer complexion.
Bladderwrack (Seaweed) Extract – Mineral-rich, softens and nourishes.
Aloe Vera – Soothes, calms, and hydrates skin.

All the facial mists in this set are fantastic and filled with skin-loving ingredients designed to hydrate, soothe, refresh, and rebalance your skin. They’re incredibly versatile and can be used in several ways throughout the day, making them a really handy addition to your skincare routine. I especially enjoy using them to revive my makeup, giving my skin a fresh, dewy finish, or keeping one nearby on my desk for a quick hydration boost whenever my skin starts to feel a little dry or tired during the day.

Have you tried any products from Mario Badescu before? If you use a facial mist as part of your skincare routine, I’d love to know which brand you use and how you like to incorporate it into your day

Jurlique Activating Water Essence

September 21, 2016May 6, 2017 - Vicki 2 Comments

We are seeing Asian beauty influences in so many products being released by Western brands, only last week I blogged about the latest Lancome Cushion Makeup and it seems that the latest trend to hit our skincare routines is the Essence. I had to do a little background reading on just what exactly an Essence was and how best to use it in my skincare regime.

I thought I had a pretty rigorous regime and didn’t realise that there was room for one more step, a step that the Asian market have deemed to be one of the most important. So an Essence is not a toner, nope its used after both cleansing and toning, it can replenish moisture, balance skins PH levels and help skin look glowing. You use your hands to pat the product into your skin and let the rich, nourishing ingredients work their magic. One of the latest to hit the market is the Activating Water Essence from Australian skincare brand Jurlique & I have been putting it to the test.

**Jurlique Activating Water Essence* £40**

I thought adding another step to my skincare routine would be pointless and even more time consuming but I have to say this extra step has become one of my favourites. The action of patting the product into my skin is quite relaxing and my skin has felt a lot better too since introducing this. This product activates your skin in 3 ways

Hydrates – Delivers continuous hydration and lasting moisture
Conditions – Smooths skin to provide a soft, supple complexion
Revitalise – Revitalises and re-energises for healthy-looking skin

At the centre of its highly concentrated formula is their star ingredient – Marshmallow Root Extract, which is great at deeply hydrating skin and improving its ability to retain moisture. So what is it about Marshmallow Root that makes it such a good skincare ingredient,

Marshmallow Root Extract has been used throughout history as a healing treatment, it has anti inflammatory properties, its gentle and soothing on the skin whilst also being a natural hydrator.

The Marshmallow Root’s ability to attract and retain water allows it to provide lasting hydration to the skin. It forms a protective barrier that helps rebalance dry skin and prevent moisture loss to leave skin feeling soft and smooth.

Along side the Marshmallow Root there are also quite a few other natural ingredients including,

Neem – Conditions and soothes
Lavender – Hydrates and calms
Rosemary – Invigorates and restores
Horsetail – Hydrates and balances
Witch Hazel – Clarifies and firms
Nettle – Rebalances and refreshes
Peach Leaf – Revitalises, regenerates and protects

Since using this my skin doesn’t look as fatigued or dull and it has been really good at reducing the redness in my cheeks. I am pretty pleased to have this step in my routine and can see why it is so popular. This bottle is going to last ages, you only need to splash a few drops into your hands and because it is so fluid a little goes a long way.

Let me know if you already have this step in your routine & if you’re a fan of any other Korean / Japanese beauty regimes or products.

*PR Sample

July 2016 Beauty Favourites

July 18, 2016October 16, 2016 - Vicki 2 Comments

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I adore using this toner as part of my morning skincare routine. Its so soothing, calming and refreshing on the skin. It contains so many skin loving ingredients (as you expect from skincare experts Liz Earle), including active ingredients aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin.

This feels so gentle and soothing nice on the skin and the formula is alcohol free. It does have quite a strong floral / botanical scent, which I like and find relaxing. I pour a little product on to a cotton pad & sweep all over my face and neck every morning. Its not at all drying and leaves your skin feeling leans and hydrated, ready for the next step in your skincare routine. This paired with the Eye is the complete package! Now that Liz Earle is sold at larger Boots stores it is even easier to get hold of, which is ideal.

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Gorgeous Berries

I always come back to this blush more than any other in my collection. Its just beautiful. I love the packaging, the fact that its a baked blush and the colour looks a little different each time I wear it. This blush has a marbling effect and I have heard them described as dupes for the much coveted Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher, I haven’t used those so I can’t compare. Although I can say its incredible quality for the price.

The Max Factor ones are buttery soft and extremely pigmented, I have the shade Gorgeous Berries which is a deep mauve berry shade. It is the darkest shade in the range and it gives the cheeks a beautiful flush of colour, if you want to build up the intensity you can go all out. These wear really well and the colour lasts all day. This shade does have a slight sheen to it but I wouldn’t say it was anything on par with a highlighter.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude

Again this is a foundation I have had in my collection for some time now and its one I love to go back to. The consistency is so fluid that I find it easy to blend and get a good even coverage. This is quite a dark shade compared to what I would usually wear but it works for the warmer months when I have a little more colour, so I am making the most of it. This gives quite a light coverage but it is build-able and it gives the skin a velvety smooth flawless (as the name suggests) finish. I really like the way it makes my skin look and it feels lightweight. Unlike some bases it actually looks better throughout the day, bonus!

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk*

I have been wearing this lipstick almost everyday, the colour is so easy to wear. Its is a comfort matte finish but it doesn’t make my lips feel overly dry. Its not a faff to apply and it just makes me look like I have have made more of an effort with my makeup (when I am wearing bare minimal). BackTalk is a gorgeous mauve pink nude shade and I just can’t get enough of it.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

I know I am not alone in loving cream shadows, they are a lazy girls best friend. You just sweep the product over your eyelid & blend it out using your finger & it always looks amazing. This Golden Pink is not what I would call a pink, it is a lot more a golden and has a pretty metallic finish. These cream shadow sticks are easy to blend but after a couple of minutes they dry done and do not budge. These are very similar to the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks which I have quite a few of and I’d say the quality of them is identical. I always travel with cream shadows, because they take up no space, they don’t break in your makeup bag and you don’t need a brush.

•PR Sample

Katherine Daniels Skincare

November 11, 2015February 3, 2018 - Vicki 1 Comment

I love discovering new British brands and when this Katherine Daniels parcel arrived on my doorstep I was excited to try everything out.

Their skincare comes in easy to follow steps which makes everything so simple.

Step 1 – Essential Cleansing Milk

Step 1 – Essential Toning Lotion

Step 2 – Concentrate For Dry Skin

Step 3 – Sensitive Skin Cream

So caring for your skin has never been easier, we would all love to have the time & the money to have facials every week but that’s just not reality for most of us. So it’s nice to use skincare to create an almost Spa at Home type of feel & Katherine Daniels products are luxurious and have been created to treat the most common skin issues and conditions so you can really care for your skin at home!

Concentrate For Dry Skin*

This is a very lightweight but nourishing serum packed full of incredible skin benefits such as

Concentrated seaweed peptides – to protect & defend against ageing
Phytosqualane & Tryglicerides – to hydrate and nourish
Extract of Myrtle – Increases cell tissue life
Vitamin E – which helps protect from free radicals

This is a lovely serum if you are noticing fine lines and wrinkles, it plumps the skin and over time helps reduce them. It’s very rich and nourishing, it leaves the skin feeling smooth and is the perfect serum for the colder months. If you have dry sensitive skin then this will be a great addition to your routine.

Essential Cleansing Milk*

This cleanser is so light in texture, I haven’t tried that many cleansing milks so I wasn’t sure how I would get on with this one. It is a very gentle and you use it on damp skin and massage it in, to break down makeup and dirt then use a damp warm cloth to remove. It has a soothing scent and it the cleanser left my skin feeling clean but not tight and it was very effective in removing my makeup. It contains these key ingredients

Red Seaweed and Blue Micro-Algae Extract – Which boost Collagen and Elastin within the skin
Glycerine – This helps to hydrate the skin and prevent moisture loss

So its also a good hydrating cleanser and will help your skin look radiant and plump. If you like to use a cleansing milk then you should check this one out.

Essential Toning Lotion*

I was excited to see this toner was alcohol-free so it’s not going to strip your skin or be too harsh. Toning is one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine. This one calms and soothes the skin, so its great for cold weather when my skin tends to be more sensitive and prone to redness. This contains some lovely ingredients too

Blue and White Lotus Flower Extract and Mastocarpus Extract – Both are excellent for relaxing and soothing the skin

This leaves your skin feeling comfortable and smooth, ready for the next step in your routine.

Sensitive Skin Cream*

This is a gel moisturiser which leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth and incredibly nourished. This feels like it sinks into the skin immediately, it’s not greasy or heavy and is a lovely smooth base for makeup. This also contains Phytosqualane which is a key ingredient in nourishing the skin and keeping it looking supple and radiant.

Katherine Daniels is a brand to keep your eye on, their products have a nice simple feel to them. They’re all really good quality and I have enjoyed them in my skincare routine. All four of the products in this post are Paraben and Mineral Oil Free.

To see their product range or find a Katherine Daniels salon near you visit www.katherinedanielscosmetics.com

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

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